June 7/8 BIBLE BLOG
Psalms 37-41
Psalm 37 is David’s great teaching psalm. Search through it for lessons for faith and life. Some of my favorites are:
The Principle of Investment: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart!” (v. 4) If we invest our interest and delight in the Lord, the way we invest ourselves in our favorite hobbies, the more blessing we receive!
The Principle of Sabbath: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…” (v. 7) Sometimes, we don’t hear from God, because we haven’t stopped to listen.
The Principle of Humility: “The meek shall inherit the land.” (v. 11; see also vv. 22, 29 & 34). Jesus reworked these words for one of His great “Beatitudes.” The lesson is everywhere in Scripture: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble!” (James 4:6).
What other lessons can you find in this teaching psalm?
Psalm 38 stands second only to Psalm 51 as one of David’s great psalms of repentance. Read it as a catalyst for your own confession of sin!
Psalm 39 dovetails with one of Pastor Paul Walles’ favorite quotes from George MacDonald, the 19th Century author: “There is nothing quite so beneficial to the soul as the contemplation of one’s own mortality.” David is silent before the Lord, and in his silence, becomes aware of how fleeting and often futile life is (vv. 4-6). In the face of this truth, David declares to the Lord: “My hope is in You!” (v. 7)
Psalm 40 is the happy result of David’s patient waiting in the previous three psalms: Psalm 37:24; 38:21-22; 40:1. Here he begins: I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction and out of the miry bog and set my feet upon a rock. (vv. 1-2) He goes on to say that God has given him a new song, a new witness (vv. 3,5), and a new desire to do God’s will (v. 8). May the Lord reproduce such fruit in our lives!
Psalm 41 concludes BOOK ONE of the Psalter. Most of these psalms were written by David and have a personal feel that makes them very pray-able. This final psalm of the first book begins with the blessings that come to those who care for the poor: deliverance, protection, healing, forgiveness and sustenance—especially when betrayed by a friend. This psalm pre-figures Judas’ betray in v. 9: Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. But the blessings of those who “consider the poor” outweigh the trials of life! What can we do today on behalf of the poor?
Monday, we begin BOOK TWO of the Psalter!
Your brother in the Word,
Pastor Gary
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